Oral History Reflection

● How does your tradition-bearer’s story relate to your community in both the present and the past? How does it relate to you?

My mom’s story is a recollection of her mom’s story and her grandmother’s story. My mom’s life hasn’t been perfect, but she has been very fortunate. She, like my great-grandparents, has worked very had to be in the place she is today. She has always thought that providing a good life for her children is her mission in life. Like our ancestors, familial ties have always been very strong to my mother, and she would like them to stay strong when my siblings I have our own families. She is delighted by the idea of learning about our history and is happy I have likewise taken an interest. Her story relates to me in that she raised me. She has taught me to continue having strong family ties in my family and to work hard for my family.

● How did your perception of community history change, from before the interview to now?

I was really impressed by our family history. We have not struggle too much in our past and any challenges my family has faced they have overcome to get to where we are today. My ancestors have always been taught that hard work and family matter, so they have been able to have successful lives, keeping those two concepts in mind.

● How did this project inspire you to learn more about your community?

My project has inspired me to possible learn about other ethnic backgrounds who came to America during the same time my great-grandparents did. Although they did not personally struggle, many Italians did. I would like to compare the Italian struggles of immigration to that of the Irish, English, French, Dutch, ect.

● What were some of the challenges you faced during this project? What could you do differently in your next oral history interview?

Some of the challenges I faced in this project was research on my family. My family has been average throughout our history. We have been fortunate enough not to struggle financially or physically in the past. It was hard to write about people who lived good lives and used their time to hangout with their families. For my next oral history interview, hopefully, I will be able to ask pointed questions that really make the person I’m asking feel some emotion. My mother just stated what she knew because that’s how she learned her history when she asked her mom. She is proud of her background because her family has kept a core set of values that have allowed each generation to prosper, but I would like to find someone who did struggle a little more in their life. Maybe they had to learn hard work was important by themselves because they weren’t taught it from a young age.

● If the roles were reversed and you became the tradition-bearer, what stories would you like to tell?

I would tell my children the stories of the struggling Italian immigrants first before I told them about our fortunate family history. I think they should learn about what the Italian-American community as a whole had to go through to get to where they are today. I don’t want them to think that everything can just be handed down to them all nice and neat like my family’s past. I will, of course, tell them about the family holidays I had as a child: the meals of plenty, the laughter, and games. I want them to be proud of our background like my mother is and enjoy their lives, but I also want them to know it hasn’t always been so easy for everyone.